


Post-Mission Care

by CaptainSaltyMuyFancy



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-12
Updated: 2020-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:35:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23120104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainSaltyMuyFancy/pseuds/CaptainSaltyMuyFancy
Relationships: Finn/Poe Dameron, Poe Dameron/Finn
Comments: 2
Kudos: 51





	Post-Mission Care

Although he would never willingly wear it again, Finn found himself longing for the insulating qualities of stormtrooper armor. All trooper armor was equipped with two centimeters of durafiber lining in case of submersion in icy waters or a thin film of magma. The former had acted as an additional antagonist on Finn, Jannah, and Paige’s mission to Zonju III earlier that day.

The frozen river they had to traverse in order to escape detection by a First Order patrol proved to not be as frozen as they hoped when the ice broke beneath Finn’s feet. Their mission was already complete and they were able to flee the planet in time, but a vicious ache was beginning to creep up Finn’s body. General Organa had told Finn to go to med bay but he decided against it. He had treated his fellow stormtroopers for cold exposure and hypothermia before, and didn’t see the need to bother Dr. Kalonia.

He was on his way to his room aboard the flagship donated to the Resistance by one of General Organa’s allies when he met Poe in the hall. Poe grinned at him, as he always did, and Finn’s heart couldn’t help but flutter a little bit. He hoped that was a side effect of seeing Poe’s grease-flecked cheeks, delicate eyelashes, and luscious black hair and not cold exposure.  Just act natural. Keep your distance and he won’t notice. Finn clenched his jaw to stop it from chattering and smiled back at Poe.

“Hey bud–” Poe’s grin collapsed into a worried frown when he got a closer look at Finn.

“Hey Poe. How ar–”

“What happened to you? You’re so pale and… are you soaking wet? And shivering… Finn, you’re gonna get sick!”

“I fell in a river on our last mission. I was just on my way to my room to clean up,” said Finn as he struggled to hide his chattering teeth. He tried to readjust his jacket but he couldn’t feel his fingers. He shifted his weight to divert the growing ache in his knee joints.

“Your room is on the other side of the ship, you’ll pass out before you get there!” said Poe as panic rose in his voice, “My room is just around the corner, come on.” He took Finn’s hand and led him back down the hallway from which Finn had just come. Poe’s room was just around the corner from where they were standing. 

“In the middle of the day? You two need to learn some restraint,” said Jessika Pava as she and Kare Kun walked past the pair while Poe hammered in the code to unlock his door. 

“Shut up, Pava,” Poe growled. The door unlocked and he led Finn inside.

“Have fun, you two!” said Jessika as Poe shut the door. 

“Uh, okay…” said Poe as he rubbed his hands together and looked around. Finn couldn’t help but grin at the chaotic mess that was Poe Dameron’s room. Poe didn’t have much for clothes, but what he did have was strewn across the bed, the floor, the desk, and the chair. Balled-up socks dotted the floor, along with a single boot, candy wrappers, an empty canteen, a datapad, and a dirty plate next to the bed. 

Finn loved messes. Not for themselves, but for their ability to exist. Messiness was a sign of freedom. The ability to use and store things in the way that was most convenient for him was an exotic concept for the former stormtrooper, one which he was only just beginning to explore. There were no messes in the First Order. No wrinkled bed sheets, no dust, no crumbs, no trash. Messes were mistakes and mistakes were punished with ‘endurance training’. Repeated mistakes were punished with public execution. In the Resistance, messes were frowned on and made fun of but permitted. Finn once saw General Organa scold Poe for coming to an important meeting with grease on his face and in his hair while wearing a dirty flightsuit and unlaced boots, but she did so with warmth and caring. The Resistance didn’t punish messiness, and it was simply one more in a growing list of reasons for why Finn couldn’t be happier where he was. A twinge of guilt crept into Finn’s heart. 

“Poe, wait,” said Finn as Poe seemed to take a mental inventory of his room, “You don’t have to do this. I’m an adult, I can take care of myself. I appreciate that you want to help me but I don’t need or like to be helped,” Finn paused as his legs began to wobble and he casually leaned up against the wall, “I’ve taken care of people with cold exposure before, I know how to treat it. I don’t want you or anyone else to think that just because I was raised as a stormtrooper that I don’t know how to do anything except follow orders and hold a weapon. I can do everything that you and Paige and Snap and Jess can do, and I hate the thought of you or anyone else using their time and resources to take care of me when I can and should be able to take care of myself.”

“I’m sorry I made you think that I don’t think you can take care of yourself. You’re the most capable person I’ve ever met. If you really don’t want my help, I respect your decision to leave. I know you know how to take care of yourself, I just think your condition is dangerous due to circumstances that are beyond anyone’s control and your body objectively needs urgent medical attention. I know you know that you have hypothermia and that if you don’t get warmed up very soon, you’re going to pass out or worse. It’s your body and your life, and if you are willing to take that high of a risk then I don’t have any place trying to get in your way. If you want to play it safe and stay here, I’ll do as little or as much as you want me to until you feel better. I’d be honored to do anything I can to help you out because you’re an important member of the Resistance and someone I care a lot about. Really a lot. I guess that’s why I reacted so strongly when I saw you back there, and I apologize for overstepping my boundaries.”

“Thank you. I’m not comfortable being taken care of but I agree that I’m in tough shape…” said Finn with a slight slur. He gripped the wall behind him as his stance began to falter. Poe rushed to his aid, grabbing him by around the waist to keep him from collapsing. Finn latched onto Poe and looked him in the eye, grinning slightly. “I think I’ll stay here, if that’s okay with you.” 

“Of course it is! Here…” Poe helped him over to the chair and then frantically scanned his room, “Dry clothes,” he said with a snap of his fingers. He retrieved a set of clothing and two mismatched woolen socks and thrusted them into Finn’s arms. “You can change in the ‘fresher. I’ll get a cup of caf going. Can you walk to the ‘fresher okay?”

“I doubt it…” said Finn sheepishly. 

“Okay, no problem, I’ll help you.” Poe looped an arm around Finn and together they hobbled to the ‘fresher. When Finn was sitting down, Poe left to start the caf and Finn painstakingly changed clothes. When he was finished, Finn clung to the wall and limped out of the ‘fresher to find Poe standing over his desk. The pilot was tossing star charts, candy wrappers, toiletries, clothes, and dirty dishes onto the floor to reveal a single-cup caf brewer. His efforts were impeded by only using one hand, as the other was clutching something to his chest. “You doin’ o–” he called out as he turned around. He jumped when he noticed Finn and immediately rushed to his side. “Feeling adventurous?” he teased as he wrapped an arm around Finn’s waist and helped him over to the bed. 

“I was feeling better after sitting for a bit. What’s that you’re holding?” said Finn. Poe had already peeled back the wrinkled blankets and proceeded to drape them over Finn. 

“Oh,” said Poe. He unrolled the ball of fabric to reveal a sweater, “I was warming it up for you.” He handed it to Finn, who slowly pulled it over his head. Poe stilled for a moment, his eyes catching Finn’s as Finn absentmindedly buried his nose in the sweater and breathed in. The little heat left in Finn’s body rushed to his cheeks. 

“Er… it smells good. It smells like… you,” Finn almost whispered. Poe beamed as a giggle escaped him. He and Finn gazed at each other for a few more seconds until Poe turned back to the desk. 

“Here,” he said as he handed Finn the mug of steaming caf. Finn took it and sipped gingerly, holding the mug with both hands. He glanced at Poe over the rim of the mug just as Poe diverted his gaze from Finn to the floor. He sat down on his chair and looked around the room with no particular purpose. Finn sighed as the hot liquid ran through his body, warming him from within. “Oh,” said Poe as he jumped up. He rifled through his closet and pulled out a heavy jacket, likely reserved for guerrilla combat due to its many pockets and its weatherproof fabric. He took the mug of caf from Finn and helped him slip the jacket on.

“Thank you,” said Finn as he took the mug back from Poe, “Do you wanna sit with me?” he asked. Poe blinked back at him. 

“Def– uh, sure,” said Poe as he took a seat next to Finn. They were elbow-to-elbow and knee-to-knee. Silence fell over the room as Finn sipped his drink and his shivering ceased. Many minutes passed before Finn turned to look at Poe. Poe was smiling as he gazed off into the cluttered space before him. 

“What is it?” Finn asked. Poe turned to look at him, maintaining his grin. 

“It’s nothing. How are you feeling?”

“I’m feeling a lot better, my joints don’t hurt so much anymore and I barely feel cold at all. But Poe…” Finn trailed off, “I have to tell you something.”

“Sure, buddy, go ahead,” Poe said with an encouraging nod.

“You’re probably the only person in the galaxy who could get me to sit here and be babied while I’m still conscious. You know that, don’t you?” said Finn as he leaned ever so slightly in Poe’s direction. Poe grinned back at him.

“I’m honored, truly.”

“You know why, right?” Finn asked. Poe remained facing Finn but let his gaze fall to the floor. 

“I think so. Maybe it’s for the same reason I haven’t been able to take my eyes off you since we first met?”

“I think so,” Finn replied. He laid his head against Poe’s shoulder. “I like this a lot. Really a lot.”

“Me too.” 

“Maybe we could do this more often? Without the hypothermia, of course.”

“Maybe,” Poe grinned. They leaned their foreheads together and closed their eyes.

“I can work with maybe.”


End file.
